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Not Sure if Paul George is “Back,” But He’s Averaging 20 PPG in December
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Don’t look now, but PG has scored at least 20 points in three of his last four games:
He’s averaging 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in December. That’s five games total of 46.5% field goal shooting and a 54.8% three-point mark over the course of 29.2 minutes per. He hasn’t missed a free throw in that time frame and is committing less than two fouls on average while turning the ball over 1.8 times per game.
It’s too early to say PG is “back,” not after five decent games, but the fact of the matter is that this is the best stretch he’s had in a Sixers uniform. The decisiveness on Sunday evening was something that popped early, with a couple of catch-and-shoot corner threes in the first quarter. He looked good in some iso and ball screen navigation moments and moved the ball well, one of those moments finding Joel Embiid on a 4th quarter duck-in and mismatch.
In hindsight, maybe the ball should have been in his hands on the final two shots in what amounted to a three-point loss. Instead we got Embiid dribbling above the nail before dishing it off to Quentin Grimes. That was a game they could have or probably should have won. Regardless, the injury situation has set the bar so low for the Sixers, that at this point in the season, being 14-11 with both Embiid and George on the floor together, or at all, feels like a win. Get Tyrese Maxey back out there and let’s get these three guys some legitimate time on the floor together.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com